Week 7
First Trimester

What happens to me?

If your face breaks out now, it is probably due to the hormones of your pregnancy. Consult your doctor before taking any acne medication or applying any acne creams. Some medications, like Accutane, can cause serious birth defects.

You may have food cravings. Although many pregnant women never experience food cravings, you might be having these cravings as early as the first month. It is okay to give in to them once in a while, but watch your diet. You should be consuming a healthful mix of food groups to maintain a balanced diet for your health and the normal development of the baby. If you are craving non-food substances (starch, clay, ice, plaster, paint, hair or gravel), contact your healthcare worker immediately. You could have a condition called "pica," which signals that your body has a mineral deficiency. Your doctor can prescribe supplements to combat this problem.

How much will I be showing?

You still may have only gained a few pounds, if any, at this point. Don’t worry, you should start to show soon enough.

What happens to baby?

If you could see inside yourself, you would find the fetus has an oversized head in proportion to its body. The embryo's facial features are forming with dark spots where the eyes are, openings where the nostrils will be, and pits to mark the ears. Protruding buds that will become the arms and legs are even more noticeable now. The baby’s hands and feet look like paddles. Although the genitals are forming, you are unable to distinguish girls from boys by sight at this point. Nasal passages are starting to form now also.

The baby will actually go through three sets of kidneys very rapidly as they develop during this period. This week the second set of kidneys will form. Other developments include the growth of the pituitary gland and muscle fibers. You can't hear it yet, but the heart (which has divided into the right and left chambers) is beating about 150 beats a minute or twice the rate of yours.

Halfway through this week, the embryo makes its first movements. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until sometime in the second trimester before you get to feel the baby's movements.

How big is the baby?

At the beginning of the 7th week the baby is approximately ¼ inch, but by the end of this week will grow to about ½ inch.

Tip of the Week

Avoid coffee during pregnancy as it stimulates the production of stomach acid!

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Just found out you're pregnant? Don't forget to check out the previous Weeks!

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